The best entryway floors stand up to all the moisture and dirt that gets tracked through a threshold. They are also a snap to clean, so there is no stress about (uh-oh!) mud or puddles. Whatever the size of your entryway—whether it is a pint-size vestibule or cavernous foyer—these smart flooring ideas will help you create a more functional and stylish entryway. These particular tiles are made of Portland white cement, which is a mixture of limestone, marble, and natural colorants. The latter creates the baked-in pattern on top of each tile. In this Swedish apartment spotted on Alvhem Makleri, antique flooring gets revived using porch and patio floor paint. It is perfect for creating a durable surface that can handle the beating that comes with heavy foot traffic. It is important to note that most types of porch and patio floor paint are oil-based and paints like these pollute indoor air. But if you are looking for something that offers long-term protection and coverage without the harmful fumes, there is a growing number of water-based paint options on the market. Two brands currently selling more environmentally friendly porch and patio paints are ECOS Paints and Rust-Oleum. Polished concrete floors come with lots of benefits. They are incredibly durable and relatively cheap to install—you can expect to pay around six dollars or less per square foot. Plus, unlike other types of flooring including wood or tile, minor imperfections such as subtle cracks will enhance the beauty of a concrete floor. They also are easy to clean. What makes slate tile so great? First off, slate is a durable natural stone. Combined with its classic good looks, slate flooring is an excellent choice that can increase the value of your home. In this small entryway, Tim Barber Ltd combined black and white hex tiles to create a historic cross and floral design. Many home improvement stores sell teensy black and white tiles like these arranged in retro patterns. They come on mesh sheets for quick installation. To get started she gave her old tile floor a good scrubbing. Afterward, she prepped the floor with an all surface primer. Next, she applied three layers of white chalk paint. Then she got stenciling using charcoal chalk paint. Once her new floor was thoroughly dry, Lindsay protected the surface with a clear top coat. For the most bang for your remodeling dollars, consider slate tiles rated for both commercial and residential use. Another good slate tile tip to know, slate floors require daily sweeping. It is especially true for the first six months. Newly installed stale goes through a flaking process called spalling, which generates dust. You might be thinking that shale stones break easily. And you are right. That is why Emily did a few tests to see how the rock would stand up as a flooring material. She discovered that packing the stones in mortar prevented cracking and chipping. The flat gray stones were installed over her old tile floor. After mortaring them into place, she let her project dry for two days before grouting. Emily loves how her project come out. Not only does her new floor look great, but she says it also feels good underfoot—win-win. She and her husband Dan tore out the old floor in the entryway. Because the wood floor extended into the living room, they created a transition line with a plunge cutter. Next, they installed a cement-based board to tile over. The couple chose grippy, slate tile by Daltile in black. Jolie finished up her project with dark grout gray, which will hide dirt and stains. Unlike painting a wall a super dark color, her idea is 100 percent removable. So no worries about your security deposit. Medina says this project is best suited for small square footage. For best results use removable, peel-and-stick vinyl wallpaper. Vinyl is easy to clean and is far more resilient than other wallpaper materials. And unlike wallpapers that require a paste to hang, peel-and-stick options come with a sticky backing. After Medina covered her entryway floor with wallpaper, she protected her new surface with fast-drying polyurethane with a satin finish.
